CODE, Oxfam Champion Civic Revolution in Cross River Schools
By Ebi COLLINS
Connected Development (CODE), leading civil society organization (CSO) whose mission is to empower marginalized communities, in partnership with Oxfam in Nigeria, has reaffirmed its commitment to nurturing a new generation of active citizens through the Power of Voices Partnership – Fair for All Project. The initiative, launched in 2021, is being implemented in six states, including Cross River.
Speaking at a civic engagement event on Thursday at NYSC Demonstration Secondary School, Calabar, CODE’s Director of Programs and Community Engagement, Mr. Kingsley Agu, said the project, modeled after the United Nations General Assembly, provides students with platforms to debate governance, transparency, accountability, and climate action.
“This project goes beyond classroom learning. It is about raising active citizens who can hold leaders accountable, protect the environment, and champion integrity,” Agu stated.
He revealed that 20 civic clubs have so far been established across secondary schools in Akwa Ibom, Imo, Rivers, Delta, Cross River, and the FCT, with over 400 students already enrolled as civic champions. Cross River leads with four clubs, one more than the average in other states.
Agu also announced plans to expand the clubs with support from the Ministry of Education to ensure both urban and rural schools benefit. “The lives of these students will never remain the same because they are gaining values and experiences that cannot be taught within the four walls of a classroom,” he added.
Delivering a goodwill message, the Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Cross River State Council, Comrade Archibong Bassey, represented by her Assistant Secretary, Comrade Kingsley Agim, commended the initiative as “a laudable effort” that will shape young people into responsible leaders. She pledged the Council’s readiness to partner with CODE and similar organizations in advancing youth development and civic responsibility.
In his remarks, the Principal of NYSC Demonstration Secondary School, Mr. Etim Essien, emphasized that the lessons from the civic clubs would prepare students for the future. He encouraged them to embrace constructive criticism and not accept everything they are told “hook, line, and sinker.”
Also speaking, Dr. Evelyn Eyong, Special Assistant to the Odukpani Local Government Chairman on NGOs and Development Partners, pledged to establish civic clubs in schools within her locality. “We must catch them young, so corruption and related offenses can be drastically reduced in our society,” she said.
Similarly, Mr. Nsa Eniang of the National Orientation Agency (NOA) described the clubs as complementary to the agency’s nationwide civic awareness campaigns and assured of NOA’s continuous collaboration with CODE to deepen civic education in Cross River.
On his part, Mr. Lawrence Peter of the Professor Charles Effiong Foundation challenged students to take ownership of their future through active participation in governance. “Integrity demands that you ask questions when necessary. You cannot remain silent all the time. They say you are leaders of tomorrow, but that’s not true—you are leaders of today,” he declared.
Since its inception, the project has inspired civic champions to launch recycling drives, tree-planting initiatives, and accountability campaigns in their schools. To reinforce this culture, CODE also donated a recycling stand to NYSC Demonstration Secondary School for the proper disposal of recyclable and non-recyclable waste.
